St Mary's CofE Primary School, Penzance: school finances
Tight
Holds £27k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cornwall · Primary · Voluntary aided school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £935k | £921k | +£14k | £101k | 163 |
2019-20 | £914k | £912k | +£2k | £103k | 165 |
2020-21 | £949k | £936k | +£13k | £116k | 157 |
2021-22 | £959k | £968k | -£9k | £107k | 137 |
2022-23 | £935k | £961k | -£26k | £81k | 133 |
2023-24 | £939k | £956k | -£17k | £65k | 123 |
2024-25 | £989k | £1.0m | -£43k | £22k | 139 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£6k | £27k | 141 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 20% of them. It spends £7,696 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,050.
This school Middle half of similar schools Similar schools’ median
Show the comparison as a table
| Spending per pupil | This school | Similar schools (median) | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
Teachers | £3,223 | £3,653 | £3,311–£4,070 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,739 | £1,546 | £1,304–£1,823 |
Supply staff | £304 | £240 | £146–£422 |
Admin and clerical | £375 | £414 | £276–£525 |
Premises | £285 | £430 | £352–£497 |
Energy | £83 | £118 | £96–£158 |
Learning resources & ICT | £526 | £342 | £243–£446 |
Bought-in services | £317 | £183 | £111–£279 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Newark Flying High Academy Large reserves
- Barlby Bridge Community Primary School Large reserves
- Silverdale Primary Academy Heading for deficit
- St Joseph and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Beaupre Community Primary School Large reserves
- Springwood Infant School Large reserves
- Harper Bell Seventh-day Adventist School In deficit
- Collierley Nursery and Primary School Healthy
- Sir John Offley CofE (VC) Primary School Large reserves
- Wharncliffe Side Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Ryton Junior School In deficit
- Keyham Barton Catholic Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.0m | £7,374 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £42k | £298 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £73k | £516 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £54k | £384 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 13% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £317 a pupil, against a typical £183 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £526 a pupil, against a typical £342 for similar schools. What's behind that?
Check these figures
Every figure here comes from the school's published return to the DfE. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the status is worked out.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for St Mary's CofE Primary School, Penzance · All Cornwall school finances